Spring-coiling mechanism.



H. MOOORNAGK.

SPRING GOILING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1908.

923,563. Patented June 1, 1909.

Q/Vihwooeo C M CW mm v at different- HERBERT MCOORNACK OF WEST CHESTER,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHARPLES SEPARATOR COMPANY, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA Specification of Letters Patent.

SPRING-COILING MECHANISM.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed June 3, 1908. Serial No. 436,341.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT MoCoRNAoK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vest Chester, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Coiling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for manufacturing coil'springs, and my main object is to provide a simple mechanism for automatically varying the pitch of the coil portions of its length so as to enable the production of connected sections of determined length each of which comprises, for instance, a series of open convolutions and ad oining closed together convolutions adapted to squarely seat the spring as is commonly desire J Coiled springs of uniform pitch are readily formed on the revolving mandrel of a lathe, the pitch being accurately determined by the regulated speed of the feed-screw which imparts desired movement to the wire-supporting carriage for each revolution of the mandrel. In my improved mechanism I provide for employing in connection with such a uniform or regular feed wire-supporting carriage, means for automatically supplementing or counteracting such regular-feed so as to vary the pitch of the produced coil, as hereafter fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings; the 'novel features of the improved mechanism being particularly pointed out in the claims. 7

Figure l is a plan view of a machine embodying the essential features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

In the drawings 4 represents an ordinary lathe-shears, provided with head-stock 5,

lathe head 6, and carriage 7 traversed on the shears 4 by a suitably geared feed-screw as usual; the arrangement and operation of the parts indicated being so well known as not to require further showing or description.

The wire may be readily wound upon the revolving mandrel or arbor 8 of the lathe mechanism described,'passing through a supporting guide 9 on the carriage from a suitably mounted reel 10, so as to form a coil of uniform pitch throughout the length produced; the regular movement imparted to the carriage by the properly speeded feedscrew, for each rotation of tho mandrel,

measuring the pitch.

The object of my invention is to provide for producing a coil of varying pitch at different portions of its length, while retaining the regular or uniform feed movement of the wire supporting carriage by the feed-screw; and it consists in employing in connection therewith, means by which the normal pitch is alternately increased or decreased during the formation of determined portions of the coil, while maintaining an average pitch equal to the normal'in each determined section or length of the coil. To this end I make the wire-supporting guide 9, as shown, part of a sliding-head 15 which is mounted in longitudinal guides 16 on the carriage 7 so as to be capable of independent movement on the latter; and for the purpose of imparting such independent movement thereto, as

desired, I provide the carriage, as shown,

with a pitch-varying or so-called compensating ,cam 17 the shaft 18 of which is vertically mounted in the carriage and provided at its lower end with a pinion 18 arranged in gear with a suitably fixed rack 19 so that desired rotary movement is imparted to the cam by a determined horizontal movement of the carriage. As shown this cam 17 is adapted to move the slide-head 15 in a forward direction only on the carriage, by contacting with an anti-friction roller 20 on the slidehead, the reverse movement of the lathe being effected by a suitable spring 21. It will be readily understood that the character and extent of these slide-head movements is determined by the contour of the cam 17, and by the movement of rotation imparted to 1t relative to the horizontal movement of the carriage; and that the effect of such reverse slide-head movements will be to alternately increase and decrease the regular or uniform pitch which would otherwise be produced by the regular-feed carriage movement. To

provide for producing springs of any desired proportions the cam 17 and the coiling mandrel or arbor 8 are correspondingly changed; the speed of the feed-screw and of the cam-shaft being ordinarily unchanged though. obviously readily variable if desired without affecting the operation of my improved mechanism.

. The operation will be clearly understood from the following specific description: If

it is desired to make squared-end springs from one-sixteenth inch wire, 8 pitch one inch long (less the grinding of ends),

coiled), so that each spring section, when out, would comprise two closed-together end coils and six intermediate 8 pitch coils. The feeds crew of the carriage 7 would be arrangedv as for a regular or uniform pitch of 10 (onetenth inch), and the pitch-varying cam 17 would be'ada'pted to force the wire in the slide-head 15 ahead one-fortieth of an inch for each one-tenth inch traveled by the carriage (luring six turns of the winding mandrel (a total of six fortieths) and then to drop the same back three-eightieths of an inch for each one-tenth inch traveled by the carriage during four turns of the winding mandrel (a total of six fortieths) so that the average of the greater and less pitches thus produced would be equal to the regular-feed (one-tenth inch per revolution) of the carriage. The string of connectedly-formed sprlngs is separated by cutting the wire midway of each series of closed-together convolutions as will be readily understood.

As shown, the cam 17 is arranged to make one revolution during a carriage movement of two spring sections, and to produce two forward and two rearward movements of the slide-head on the carriage for each revolution; but obviously it may be differently arranged and rotated to produce springs of desired pitches and length in the manner described, and the essential features of the invention may be otherwise embodied than is specifically set forth, without departing from my invention.

. l/Vhat I, claim is:

1. In a wire-coiling mechanism comprising acoiling mandrel, a regular-feed oarr'iage having a relatively movable wire-supporting head, and means operated by the carriage movement for automatically adjusting said movable-head thereon to vary the pitch of the produced coil, substantially as set forth. 2. In a wire-coiling mechanism comprising a coiling mandrel, a regular-feed carriage having a relatively movable wire-supporting head, and means operated by the carriage movement for automatically adjusting said movab1e head alternately forward and rearward thereon to produce alternating series of convolutions of respectively'greater and less pitch than the regular-feed of the carriage but averaging the same pitch as said regular-feed; I

3. In a wire-coiling mechanism. comprising a coilingmandrel, a regular-feed carriage having a movable wlre-supporting head, a c am mountedin said carriage and adapted to operate said'movable-head thereon, and means'fo'r imparting a determined rotating movement to said cam for each determined movement of thecarriage.

4. In a wire-coiling mechanism comprising a coiling mandrel, a regular-feed carriage having a movable wire-supporting head, a cam and cooperating spring on said carriage arranged to jointly move said movable-head in reverse directions thereon, and means for imparting a determined rotating movement to said cam for each determined movement ofthe carriage.

5; In a wire-coiling mechanism comprising a coiling mandrel, a regular-feed oarriage having a movable wire-supporting head, a cam mounted in said carriage an adapted to operate said movable-head there on, and afixed rack arranged in 'gear with said cam so as to impart a determined rotary movement t ereto for each determined movement of the carriage.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my,signature, inthe presence of two witnesses.

- HERBERT MCCORNACK.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR P. RED),

MARTHA E. PEAR ON. 

